Top 5 Avalanche Hockey Fights of 2014-15

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#1: Gabriel Landeskog Captain Fight

It may seem like nothing can beat Cody McLeod taking on the entire Dallas Stars bench. For sheer audacity, nothing can.

However, late in December, with the Colorado Avalanche struggling so hard and Avs fans feeling so despairing of the season, the captain did what leaders do — he stepped up.

December was especially frustrating for Gabriel Landeskog. He went through a painful goal-scoring drought, not getting a single tally the entire month when his team really needed the goals. However, he kept himself in each game in whatever way he could, with big hits, set-up plays and encouragement.

He also participated in an epic battle with a seasoned fighter, fellow hockey captain Andrew Ladd of the Winnipeg Jets:

This wasn’t just a hockey fight — this was a captain fight. This captain fight felt like the turning point for the Colorado Avalanche season. Yes, Gabriel Landeskog still went goal-less for two more weeks. No, the team did not manage to make the playoffs. However, that epic captain fight got all of Avs Nation — players, coaches and fans — on the same page once more.

Indeed, after the game — which the Avalanche won in the shootout, star center Matt Duchene said of the fight:

"“[Landeskog] wanted [Ladd] last game and it didn’t happen. This game he went, and you could tell that he wanted him bad to get some momentum for us. He did a heck of a job stepping up there.”"

Goalie Calvin Pickard was similarly impressed:

"“It was awesome. He really got us going there. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and fight, and we appreciated that a lot in the room. It got us going.”"

The best praise came from Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy:

What do you think, Avs Nation? What was the best Avalanche hockey fight last season?

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